Engine wash collector

ABSTRACT

A collector for collecting wash liquid from an engine washing operation include a frame; a height adjustable and expandable droplet separator package connected to the frame, the droplet separator package to receive a flow of wash liquid entrained in an airstream emanating from an engine; a height adjustable and extendable chute with side walls and a scissor lift, the chute connected to the droplet separator package and extending at least partially under an engine to collect liquid exiting the engine; a collector tank connected to the frame to collect liquid from the droplet separator package and the chute; and a drainage pipe connecting at least one of the chute and the droplet separator to the collector tank.

BACKGROUND

In order to recover efficiency of the compressor of a gas turbine enginethat have been contaminated during operation, engine compressors andturbine sections are routinely cleaned. Wash units connected to washmanifolds are used to spray wash fluid into the engine, most of the timeutilizing deionized water or water and detergent mix. This washing ofthe engine removes contaminants from within the engine and produces astream of contaminated effluent sprayed out of the engine, in the pathof air exiting the engine and from specific engine drains. This washeffluent is contaminated with hydrocarbons, heavy metals and otherdangerous materials for the environment and local biosystem. Airportregulations are globally becoming stricter with regards to enginewashing and collection of effluent after washing procedure. National,regional and local airport environmental regulations are drivingrequirement to collect effluent during engine washing maintenanceprocedure.

SUMMARY

A collector for collecting wash liquid from an engine washing operationinclude a frame; a height adjustable and expandable droplet separatorpackage connected to the frame, the droplet separator package to receivea flow of wash liquid entrained in an airstream emanating from anengine; a height adjustable and extendable chute with side walls and ascissor lift, the chute connected to the droplet separator package andextending at least partially under an engine to collect liquid exitingthe engine; a collector tank connected to the frame to collect liquidfrom the droplet separator package and the chute; and a drainage pipeconnecting at least one of the chute and the droplet separator to thecollector tank.

A method of collecting wash liquid from an engine during a washingoperation includes placing a collector with a frame relative to theengine; adjusting the height of a height adjustable droplet separatorpackage connected to the frame to receive a flow of wash liquidentrained in an airstream emanating from the engine; adjusting theheight of an extendable chute with side walls connected to the frame andto the droplet separator package to sit beneath the engine to collectliquid exiting the engine; and collecting wash effluent in a collectortank connected to the frame by separating the wash effluent from themist exiting the engine with the droplet separator package andtransporting wash liquid from the droplet separator package and from thechute to the collector tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a collector in use with an engine.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the collector of FIG. 1 with a chuteand droplet separator package fully extended and raised from the frame.

FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the collector of FIG. 2A with thechute partially extended but not raised.

FIG. 2C shows a perspective view of the collector of FIG. 2B with ascissor lift extended from the frame and the chute partially raised.

FIG. 2D shows a close-up side view of a lift portion of the chute andextended and partially raised scissor lift of FIG. 2C.

FIG. 3A shows a back perspective view of the droplet separator packageof a collector.

FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the droplet separator package ofFIG. 3A, with the droplet separator package fully raised.

FIG. 3C shows a front perspective view of the droplet separator packageof FIG. 3A.

FIGS. 3D-3F show a close-up views of the lift system for the dropletseparator package of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the frame of collector of FIG. 1without a droplet separator package, scissor lift and a chute.

FIG. 5A shows a side view of a collector compacted.

FIG. 5B shows a top perspective view of the collector of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C shows a back view of a collector fully compacted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of collector 10 in use with engine 12.Collector 10 includes frame 14, extendable chute 16 with side walls 17and scissor lift 18, droplet separator package 20 with lifting system22, drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b and collector tanks 26. Chute 16 connectsto frame 14 through scissor lift 18 and to droplet separator package 10.Droplet separator package 20 connects to frame 14 through lifting system22. Drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b connect to chute 16 and droplet separatorpackage 20 to collector tanks 26, which sits in frame 14. Collector 10components can be made of non-corrosive and/or coated materials.

Frame 14 is on wheels, allowing for the positioning of collector 10relative to (but not connecting to) engine 12 for collecting wash liquidduring a wash operation. Front wheel pair is steerable. Chute 16 withside walls 17 extends and rises with scissor lift 18 on one end to setunderneath engine to catch wash liquid from engine drains and otherports. Chute 16 is sloped so that wash liquid collected in chute 16flows to drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b.

When performing a washing operation, engine is often cranked, whichturns wash fluid into a mist when exiting engine 12. Droplet separatorpackage 20 is raised with lifting system 22 to be positioned directlybehind engine 12. Droplet separator package 20 removes the wash liquidentrained in the mist emanating from engine 12 during a washingoperation, allowing air to exit. Wash effluent from droplet separatorpackage 20 flows down and is transported to collector tanks 26 throughfully enclosed drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b. Collector tanks 26 can thenstore wash effluent in frame 14 for proper disposal or treatment forreuse.

Collector 10 with extendable chute 16 with sidewalls 17 and dropletseparator package 20 allows for the collection of waste liquid from anengine washing operation and temporary storage in collector tanks 26. Bybeing able to raise and expand both droplet separator package 20 andchute 16, collector 10 is able to provide collection for any size engine12 and aircraft configuration.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of collector 10 with chute 16 fullyextended, scissor lift 18 fully raised from frame 14, and dropletseparator package 20 fully extended and raised. FIG. 2B shows aperspective view of collector 10 with chute 16 partially extended butnot raised, and FIG. 2C shows a perspective view of collector 10 withscissor lift 18 extended from the frame 14 and the chute 16 partiallyraised. FIG. 2D shows a close-up side view of portion of extended chute16 and partially raised scissor lift 18 of FIG. 2C.

FIGS. 2A-2D include collector 10 with frame 14, extendable chute 16 withside walls 17 and scissor lift 18, droplet separator package 20 withlifting system 22, drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b and collector tanks 26.Extendable chute 16 includes scissor lift 18, panels 19, first stage 28with side walls 17 a, second stage 30 with side walls 17 b, third stage32 with side walls 17 c, handle 33, scissor lift extension 34 on wheels,manual scissor lift crank 36, gas spring 38 for chute 16 verticallifting, and chute 16 rotation point 40.

Chute 16 is extendable in three stages with third stage 32 fittinginside of and able to extend from second stage 30 and second stage ableto fit inside of and extend from first stage 28. Second and third stages30, 32 can be extended manually with handle 33. Third stage 32 can belocked in to second stage 30 for extending second stage only. Stages 28,30, 32 can connect through sliding support beams or other methods. Eachstage 28, 30, 32 includes side walls 17 a, 17 b, 17 c that may berotatable. Second and third stages 30, 32 can be locked through lockingpins (not shown) so that chute 16 is secured once desired extensionlength has been achieved. Add-on side panels 19 can connect between sidewalls 17 a, 17 b, 17 c and droplet separator package 20 sides to ensureenclosure of engine 12 during a collection operation.

Extendable chute 16 lift includes scissor lift 18, gas spring 38 forvertical chute 16 lifting and manual scissor lift 18 crank 36. Whenchute 16 is not lifted, as in FIG. 2B, the downward force on scissorlift 18 is very great. Thus, vertical force gas spring 38 can beactuated to act on chute 16 and assist in initial raising of chute 16,whereupon manual cranking of crank 36 can extend scissor lift 18,raising chute 16 to desired level and angle to sit beneath an engine.Gas spring 38 for vertical chute lifting can act on first stage 28 andmay incorporate rollers to support chute 16 when lowered. Scissor lift18 may be a multi-stage lift, with a central trapezoidal screw to reducevertical force on scissor during lifting and reduce cranking forceneeded to crank trapezoidal screw. Trapezoidal screw can also act as aself locking device to maintain scissor lift 18 height position aftercompleting cranking.

In the embodiment shown, scissor lift 18 connects to second stage 30 andincludes extension 34 on wheels 37. Extension 34 moves scissor lift 18out from the center of gravity when lifting chute 16, increasing thetorque arm. This increase of the torque arm through extension of scissorlift 18 helps to reduce force on scissor lift 18, allowing for the useof manual crank 36. In other embodiments, scissor lift 18 could connectto other stages of chute 16.

Extendable chute 16 connects to droplet separator package 20 at pivotpoint 40 to raise with droplet separator package 20. This connectionforms a seal to fully contain effluent during washing. Extendable chute16 also raises with scissor lift 18. This allows extendable chute 16 tobe raised at one or both ends and positioned and/or angled properly tocollect wash liquid coming from an engine no matter the engine size,height and/or orientation.

Drainage pipe 24 b then drains liquid collected by chute 16 to collectortanks 26. The ability to extend, raise, and tilt chute 16 provides for amore flexible system to collect and properly transport wash liquid fromunderneath an engine during a washing operation. Side walls 17 a, 17 b,17 c, which are extendable with chute 16 helps to ensure wash liquid iscollected and does not run out sides of chute 16, so that it can betransported to collector tanks 26 where it can be properly disposed ofand/or treated. Sidewalls 17 a, 17 b, 17 c and additional enclosurepanels, for example, panel 19, enclose engine 12 to ensure protectionfrom side wind and compete collection of effluent during washingoperations. Extendable scissor lift 18 and gas spring 38 and manuallyextendable stages 30, 32 ensure that chute can be raised, lowered andextended properly by manual force, making for a more flexible collectorsystem which does not require electric power for operation. While chute16 is shown with three stages 28, 30, 32, in other embodiments, chute 16could have more or fewer stages. Additionally, other embodiments couldhave alternative lift mechanisms depending on system requirements.

FIG. 3A shows a back perspective view of the droplet separator package20 of collector 10. FIG. 3B shows a back perspective view of dropletseparator package 20, with droplet separator package 20 fully raised.FIG. 3C shows a front perspective view of droplet separator package 20.FIGS. 3D-3F show a close-up views of the lift system for the dropletseparator package 20.

FIGS. 3A-3F include collector 10 with frame 14, extendable chute 16 withside walls 17 and droplet separator package 20 with lifting system 22.Droplet separator package 20 includes first main droplet separator 42,second main droplet separator 44, side droplet separator panels 46 andtop droplet separator panels 48. Lifting system 22 includes first crank50 with first lift linkage wire 52, second crank 54 with second liftwires 56, second crank linkage 58, slave lifting rod 59 and verticalassist gas springs 60. First crank 50 and a slave lifting rod 59 utilizeindividual wires on each side to lift first main droplet separatorpackage 42 during cranking operation of first crank 50.

Side droplet separator panels 46 connect to and are extendable to thesides of first main droplet separator 42 and second main dropletseparator 44. Top droplet separator panels 48 are connected to andextendable on top of second main droplet separator panel 44. Sidedroplet separator panels 46 and top droplet separator panels 48 can bemoved manually and can include locking mechanisms (not shown) to lockthe panels 46, 48 at the proper extension and orientation for acollection operation.

First lift linkage wire 52 connects to first (master) crank 50 and toslave lifting rod 59 (see FIGS. 3D, 3E and 3F). Master and slave useseparate wires, per side, connected to first main droplet separator 42for lifting operation. Second lift wire 56 connects to second crank 54and to second main droplet separator 44. First lift linkage wire 52 actsto even out the vertical force between master and slave lift sides ofdroplet separators 42 when lifting. Gas springs 60 can be used to assistmanual cranking with first and second cranks 50, 54.

When the first main droplet separator 42 is lifted, second main dropletseparator 44 is also raised. A safety support (not shown) can be usedwith lift system 22 to ensure droplet separator package 20 is locked inposition, for example to allow a maintenance operation.

First crank 54 with first lift linkage wire 52 raises first main dropletseparator 42 and second main droplet separator 44 to a desired heightfor collecting wash liquid emanating from an engine in an airstream.Chute 16 is also lifted at one end with first crank 54, as it ispivotally connected at connection point 40 to first main dropletseparator 42 to move vertically with first main droplet separator 42.Second crank 54 with lift wires 56 can then raise second main dropletseparator 44 above first main droplet separator 42. Side panels 46and/or top panels 48 can be individually moved to the sides and/or topof first main droplet separators 42 and/or second main droplet separator44 to expand the collection area of droplet separator package 20.

Droplet separator package 20 collects spray of liquid exiting an engineduring a wash operation. Wash liquid entrained in an airstream flowsthrough a band of curved vanes in droplet separator package 20,subjecting the droplets to forces of inertia and directional flowchanges. These forces divert the droplets from their original air flow,causing the droplets to stay within the droplet separator package 20 andcollect at the bottom to flow through drainage pipe 24 a (see FIGS. 1,2A) to collector tanks 26.

Lift system 22 allows droplet separator package to be easily manuallyraised, allowing for a more versatile collector 10 which does not needpower to operate. Having a plurality of main droplet separators 42, 44as well as side extension panels 46 and top extension panels 48 allowthe droplet separator package 20 to expand or contract to be able tomeet area requirements for collection on an engine of any size. Liftingsystem 22 that can raise first droplet separator 42 and second maindroplet separator 44 together or separately also allows collector to beable to vertically meet height requirements for collection from anyengine.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of frame 14 of collector 10 without adroplet separator package 20 and without scissor lift 18 and chute 16for viewing purposes. Frame 14 includes collector tanks 26, support legs62, tow bar 64, drainage pipe connections 66 a, 66 b, turntable 68,outlets 70, front wheels 72 and rear wheels 74. Also shown is scissorlift 18.

Collector tanks 26 are fully enclosed in frame 14 and can includeseparate compartments which may or may not be connected. A plurality ofcompartments can make maintenance and cleaning of collector tanks 26easier. Drainage pipe connections 66 a, 66 b receive drainage pipes 24a, 24 b to transfer wash liquid collected into collector tanks 26.Outlets 70 can include a quick coupling for connecting to a hose, atreatment system or other device to allow for emptying of collectortanks 26.

Support legs 62 connect to and extend from each side of frame 14.Support legs 62 act to stabilize frame 14 and entire collector 10 duringa washing operation. Support legs 62 extend from each side of frame 14and are vertically adjustable to relieve stress on front wheels 72 andsupport collector 10. This can be helpful in situations where the groundmay be uneven, inclined or adverse conditions are present, such as astrong wind.

Tow bar 64 connects to frame 14 at front axle. Front wheels 72 and axleconnect to frame 14 through turntable 68. Mounting front wheels 72 andtow bar 64 on turntable 68 allow for easy manual maneuverability ofcollector 10. Front wheels 72 can also include a parking brake (notshown) that may be connected to the tow bar 64 position and act toensure collector 10 does not move during a washing operation. Forexample, the parking brake can act on the front wheels 72 when the towbar 64 is in a vertical position. Tow bar 64 may be held in thatvertical position through the use of a locking pin, for example.

Frame 14 with fully enclosed collector tanks 26 and support legs 62provides a stable and secure base to support collector 10 and store washfluid during a washing operation. Turntable 68 and tow bar 64 allow foreasy maneuvering of frame 14 and thus collector 10 as a whole, enablingmanual placement at any engine washing location desired. The use ofsupport legs 62 also allows for placement on uneven or inclined ground,where other collector systems may not be able to perform. Dual outlets70 allow for quick and easy emptying of collector tanks 26 so thatcollection operations can be quickly resumed.

FIG. 5A shows a side view of collector 10 fully compacted, and FIG. 5Bshows a top perspective view of the collector 10, and FIG. 5C shows aback view of collector 10 fully compacted. Collector 10 includes frame14 (with support legs 62), extendable chute 16 (with scissor lift 18,first stage 28 with side walls 17 a, second stage 30 with side walls 17b, third stage 32 with side walls 17 c, handles 33, scissor liftextension 34 on wheels 37, manual crank 36, gas spring 38 for verticalchute 18 lifting and rotation point 40) and droplet separator package 20(with lifting system 22, first main droplet separator 42, second maindroplet separator 44, side droplet separator panels 46 and top dropletseparator panels 48).

As seen in FIGS. 5A-5B, collector 10 can fold up so that third stage 32with side walls 17 c fits inside of second stage 30 with sidewalls 17 band second stage 30 with sidewalls 17 b sits inside first stage 28 withsidewalls 17 a. Side droplet separator panels 46 line up together asfirst main droplet separator 42 sits behind second main dropletseparator 44. As shown in FIG. 5C, top panels 48 can fold down and sidewalls can be tilted to make collector 10 as compact as possible.

This folding up of collector 10 allows for easy transport and storage.Additionally, this allows for collector 10 to be very versatile, havingextension portions in both chute 16 and droplet separator package 20 toexpand to collect wash liquid from very large engines, while being ableto compact to collect wash liquid from very small engines as well.Compaction also reduces the storage space required for collector 10.

In summary, collector 10 with extendable chute 16 with sidewalls 17 andexpandable droplet separator package 20 is a versatile collector thatcan expand, raise and/or orient parts to collect liquid from a washingoperation for any engine type and size and is manually operable. Frame14 with tow bar 64 and turntable 68 allow for easy maneuvering ofcollector 10 to where an engine needs washing. Lifting system 22 andscissor lift 18 allow for vertical movement and/or tilting of chute 16.Scissor lift 18 with extension 34 and gas springs 38 allow for themanual crank 36 lifting of chute. Lifting system 22 with first maindroplet separator 42 and second main droplet separator 44, manual cranks50, 54 with lift wires 52, 56, lifting rod 59 and gas springs 60 allowsfor easy and stable manual raising of droplet separator package 20 andone end of chute 16. Pivotal connections (40) between droplet separatorpackage 20 and chute 16 as well as chute 16 and scissor lift 18 allowfor tiling of collector 10 components to adequately collect wash liquidand drain to drainage pipes 24 a, 24 b. Frame 14 with support legs 62provide a stable base to support and stabilize collector 10 during washoperations despite environmental conditions and/or challenging terrain.Collector 10 allows for efficient collection of wash liquid from anengine operation for any engine type or size by providing a versatiledroplet separator package 20 and chute 16 that can be easily towed to anengine 12 that needs washing, and then manually set up and operated, notrequiring power to run. This makes for a more flexible system, as it canbe easily transported to anywhere an engine 12 needs cleaning and doesnot require any connections to power sources or any physical connectionto the engine. Thus, collector 10 provides for fully mechanical, safe,low maintenance effective and efficient collection of liquid during awashing operation and allows for washing of a wide range of aircraft andengine combinations without changing components.

While collector 10 and wheels 72 are shown as manually operated systems,in other embodiments, collector system could include an electricallypowered system for movement of collector. While lifting system 22 andscissor lift 18 are both shown as manual crank lift systems, in otherembodiments, lift systems could include an electrically powered actuatoror hydraulic lift system.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplaryembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the invention without departing from theessential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the inventionnot be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that theinvention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of theappended claims.

1. A collector for collecting wash liquid from an engine washingoperation, the collector comprising: a frame; a height adjustable andexpandable droplet separator package connected to the frame, the dropletseparator package to receive a flow of wash liquid entrained in anairstream emanating from an engine; a height adjustable and extendablechute with side walls and a scissor lift, the chute connected to thedroplet separator package and extending at least partially under anengine to collect liquid exiting the engine; a collector tank connectedto the frame to collect liquid from the droplet separator package andthe chute; and a drainage pipe connecting at least one of the chute andthe droplet separator package to the collector tank.
 2. The collector ofclaim 1, wherein the droplet separator package comprises: a heightadjustable first droplet separator; and a height adjustable seconddroplet separator.
 3. The collector of claim 2, wherein the heightadjustable first droplet separator and the height adjustable seconddroplet separator are connected so that the second droplet separatorraises with the first droplet separator and is adjustable.
 4. Thecollector of claim 3, and further comprising: a droplet separatorpackage lifting system.
 5. The collector of claim 4, wherein the dropletseparator package lifting system comprises: a first manual crank to liftthe droplet separator package vertically; and a second manual crank tolift the second droplet separator above the first droplet separator. 6.The collector of claim 5, and further comprising: gas springs connectedto support the droplet separator package lifting system.
 7. Thecollector of claim 1, and further comprising: a plurality of dropletseparator side panels connected to the droplet separator package whichare extendable to the sides of the droplet separator package.
 8. Thecollector of claim 1, and further comprising: at least one dropletseparator top panel connected to the droplet separator package andextendable above the droplet separator package.
 9. The collector ofclaim 1, wherein the chute comprises: a plurality of retractable stagesto adjust the length of the chute.
 10. The collector of claim 9, whereineach stage of the plurality of stages includes sidewalls.
 11. Thecollector of claim 9, and further comprising: a droplet separator lift.12. The collector of claim 11, wherein and further comprising gassprings to assist the droplet separator lift and/or the scissor lift.13. The collector of claim 11, wherein the scissor lift includes anextension to be extendable from the frame with the chute.
 14. Thecollector of claim 13, wherein the scissor lift extension includessupport wheels.
 15. The collector of claim 14, wherein the scissor liftis connected to one of the plurality of extendable stages to move withthe stage when it is extended.
 16. The collector of claim 1, wherein theconnection between the droplet separator package and the chute is apivotal connection and causes one end of the chute to raise with thedroplet separator package.
 17. The collector of claim 1, and furthercomprising one or more additional collector tanks.
 18. The collector ofclaim 1, and further comprising: a plurality of support legs connectedto the frame.
 19. A method of collecting wash liquid from an engineduring a washing operation, the method comprising: placing a collectorwith a frame relative to the engine; adjusting the height of a heightadjustable droplet separator package connected to the frame to receive aflow of wash liquid entrained in an airstream emanating from the engine;adjusting the height of an extendable chute with side walls connected tothe frame and to the droplet separator package to sit beneath the engineto collect liquid exiting the engine; and collecting wash effluent in acollector tank connected to the frame by separating the wash effluentfrom the mist exiting the engine with the droplet separator package andtransporting wash liquid from the droplet separator package and from thechute to the collector tank.
 20. The method of claim 19, and furthercomprising: extending the chute.
 21. The method of claim 19, and furthercomprising: expanding the droplet separator package.